Globe clock



GLOBE CLOCK Filed July 5, 1941 INVENTOR. F'flvMon/D RDUPLER ATTDRNEYI.

Patented Mar. 1(5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLOBE CLGCK Raymond R. Dupler, Toledo, Ohio Application July 5, 1941, Serial No. 401,178

Claims.

This invention relates to globe clocks in which a globe has self-contained mechanism for indi-- eating time, and has for an object to produce an improved globe clock having the time indicator and operating mechanism therefor arranged inside of the globe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a globe clock with means to illuminate the inside of the globe and means to operate the clock mechanism having improved means for conductfollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical sectional view of a globe clock incorporating the invention.

The globe clock chosen for illustration in the drawing comprises a sphere I!) of glass or other suitable transparent or translucent material formed in two halves or sections H and I2 fitting together in overlapping relation. When the sphere is to be used as a terrestrial globe, a map of the world may be suitably displayed on the surface thereof so that upon illumination of the globe from the inside, the map becomes visible from the outside. The sphere may be suitably supported by means of a meridian ring l4 in turn connected to supporting arms l5, fragmentarily illustrated as the arms may be connected to a base in any well-known manner. Suitable wires 16 lead directly into the sphere and have a connecting plug I l at the outer end. Switches I8 and (9 control a clock operating motor and a light source respectively, located within the sphere.

The lower section II of the sphere I0 is provided with an opening 2| which fits a projection on a block 22 located within the section and cooperating with another block 24 having a projection 25 extending into the opening 2| from the outside. Screws 21 secure the blocks together to provide means for locating a motor supporting bracket 28. Passing through the center of the blocks 22 and 24 and into the sphere is a tube 30, the lower end of which is received in a bushing 3| mounted in the meridian ring 14.

The upper section 12 of the sphere I0 is provided with an opening 32 having a bushing 33 fixed therein and apertured to permit the passage therethrough of a tube 34 forming a continuation of the tube 30. The upper extremity of the tube 34 is also received in a bushing 35 carried by the meridian ring l4 diametrically opposite bushing 3|. Surrounding tube 30 is a relatively short tube or sleeve 36. The upper and lower ends of tubes 36 and 34 are formed with upstanding and depending arms 31 and 38 respectively, separably connected together as at 39, and forming a bracket around an electric lamp 40 mounted in a base 4| secured to the upper end of the tube 30. The sphere is rotatable about tubes 30 and 34 as an axis.

The bracket 28 supports a synchronous motor 42 of a type familiar to those skilled in the art, driving suitable gearing in a gear reduction box 43 from which extends a drive shaft 44. Aworm on shaft 44 is in mesh with a worm wheel 45 fixed to the sleeve 36. Thus, motor 42 drives sleeve 36 through suitable gearing to rotate a time band 48 connected to arms 31 of sleeve 36, spokes 49 of the time band being apertured to receive thearms 31.

Thelower section ll of sphere l0 is provided with a plurality of spaced lugs 50 arranged to support the time band 48 for rotation with respect to the sphere. The lugs 50 are located so that the driving mechanism is relieved of the weight and resultant load of the time band. The band 48 is preferably an annulus or ring of glass or other suitable translucent or transparent material and may be calibrated and provided with numbers or other indicia for designating the time. It will be apparent that when lamp 40 is energized, the indicia on the time band will be visible from the outside of the globe.

As motor 42 is rotatable with the globe, tube 30 carries two vertically spaced contact rings 52 to which certain of the wires [6 are connected. Pick up springs 53 fixed to the motor contact the rings 52 to conduct energy to the motor 42. Other of wires I6 are connected to the base 4! to energize the lamp 40.

Interposed in the tube 36 is a clutch 55 arranged to slip when the tube 34 is rotated by hand through the medium of a knurled wheel 51 secured to the tube 34 in the space between the north pole of the globe and meridian ring I4. This arrangement is provided to permit setting of the time band independently of the motor and drive gearing.

From the foregoing it will be seen that although motor 42 is mounted for turning movements with the globe, the motor is capable of driving the time band in proper synchronism irrespective of the position of the globe with respect to its support. Due to the contact ring and spring pick-up arrangement an uninterrupted flow of energy is conducted to the lamp and motor. By producing a globe clock having the entire mechanism located within the sphere, a highly efficient, simple and practical structure is provided in which few easily assembled parts are required. It is to be further noted that any vertical thrusts between the globe and its support are taken care of by the bushings provided in the meridian ring. Thus, a construction has been provided which permits the use of a globe in the usual manner, and at the same time provides a clock, the operation of which is not hampered by the use of the structure as a globe.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention,

especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A clock comprising a support, a globe mounted for turning movements with respect to said support, a pair of aligned tubes projecting from the poles of said globe, a sleeve surrounding one of said tubes and connected to the other of said tubes, a time band mounted for turning movements with said sleeve, a motor in said globe for turning said sleeve, and means for turning said time band independently of said motor including a hand wheel fixed to said other tube adjacent the respective pole of said globe.

2. A globe clock comprising a sphere, means for mounting said sphere for turning movements, a time band supported within said sphere for rotation relative thereto, tubes within said sphere and projecting outwardly from the poles of said sphere, said tubes serving as pivots for said sphere, a sleeve surrounding one of said tubes, a plurality of arms extending upwardly from said sleeve and connected to said time band, means within said sphere for driving said sleeve to rotate said time band, means on the other of said tubes for rotating said time band independently of said driving means, and an operative connection between said other tube and said time band.

3. A globe clock comprising a support, a translucent globe on said support, upper and lower aligned tubes within said globe and projecting from the poles thereof, a sleeve surrounding the lower tube, arms projecting from each of said sleeve and upper tube in cage-like manner toward each other, a separable connection between the abutting ends of said arms, an electric lamp on said lower tube and disposed between said arms, a hand wheel fixed to the upper tube for turning same and arms thereon, a time band mounted on said arms for turning movements therewith, and motor driven means within said globe for turning said sleeve thereby to turn said time band independently of said globe.

4. A globe clock comprising a support, a translucent globe on said support, upper and lower aligned tubes within said globe and projecting from the poles thereof, a sleeve surrounding the lower tube, outwardly bowed arms projecting from each of said sleeve and upper tube in cage-like manner toward each other, a separable connection between the abutting ends of said arms, an electric lamp on said lower tube and disposed between said arms, a hand wheel fixed to the upper tube for turning same and arms thereon, a time band mounted on said arms for turning movements therewith, and motor driven means within said globe for turning said, sleeve thereby to turn said time band independently of said globe, said motor driven means comprising a synchronous motor, a worm driven by said motor, a worm wheel on said sleeve, and clutch means interposed in said sleeve to permit turning of said time band by said hand wheel independently of said motor driven means.

5. A clock comprising a rotatable globe made up of two hemispheres, an overlapping joint for said hemispheres, said joint comprising a downwardly extending rim on the upper hemisphere, a downwardly facing ledge on the inside of the upper hemisphere and spaced upwardly from said rim, an upwardly facing ledge on the lower hemisphere against which said rim rests, and an upwardly facing flange on said lower hemisphere on the inside of the respective ledge and having the top edge thereof spaced upwardly from such ledge, said ledge of the upper hemisphere resting on said flange, a time indicating band within said globe and arranged substantially centrally thereof, lugs integral with and providing a continuation of said flange and providing ledge means inside of the globe against which an edge of said time band rests, and means rotating said time band relative to said globe and on said lugs.

RAYMOND R. DUPLER. 

